


Always Known

by dreamofhorses



Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF
Genre: Comfort, M/M, Phone Calls & Telephones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 14:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17510120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamofhorses/pseuds/dreamofhorses
Summary: If the greatest actor of his generation can't have an Oscar nomination, at least y'all can have this fic.





	Always Known

“H-hello?”

 

“Timmy, it’s me.”

 

A sniffle. “I know, Armie. Phones tell you these things now. They even show you a picture of who’s calling. Like the picture of you I took at TIFF while you were double fisting red wine and betting me I wouldn’t take the shot? Shows up every time you call.” There’s the faintest smile hiding in the choked-up voice.

 

“No wonder I keep forgetting that phones do that then.” A pause. “I watched the nominations.”

 

“Me too. You know I always do, it’s just easier if I pretend I was sleeping through them when I actually do get one. Feels like I don’t jinx it as much that way.”

 

“Oh hey, maybe that’s what I was doing wrong all last awards season.” There’s a pause for a laugh, but none comes. “Hey, Tim, seriously. You deserved it, you know that. I know it. I saw you hungry, saw how much you’d eat to put the weight back on and keep working even though your body hated it. I’ve seen you with Nic, how you really pay attention to him and took his story so seriously. I know it doesn’t feel like it now but things are changing. The world isn’t ready for you yet and that’s its loss. But it will be, Timmy, soon.”

 

“It doesn’t feel that way. I still feel like I’m on the outside looking in and I’ll never have a key.”

 

“You  _ are _ the key, Tim. People loving you as much as they do is helping change things that much faster. After you there aren’t even gonna be walls to be outside of.”

 

A shaky breath, then another. The second one catches in the back of his throat. “I didn’t ask for this, you know. I’m just being me. But it felt like so much more for a second. Just for a second.”

 

“It is so much more. You’re so much more.” A shaky breath, this time on the other side of the line. “Remember what you told me in that hotel room in Rome? Do you?”

 

“Y-yes.” It’s a whisper so soft you might have imagined it.

 

“Tell me what you said.”   
  


“I-I said that you are one of the best actors I’ve ever known and it’s the world’s fault if they don’t see it.” The whisper is slowly getting stronger, louder. “That you have so much left to show that one day people will shake their heads and talk about the time they let greatness walk away. And that it’s up to you to show them that you knew it all along and were just waiting for them to catch up.”   
  


The smile is so warm you can hear it through the phone. “Now say it again. To me. About you.”

“Armie, I can’t--”

 

“You can. Because it’s true. And lying just might be the only thing you’re terrible at.”   
  


A breath. Deep, but steady. “I’m one of the best actors you’ve ever known and it’s the world’s fault if they don’t see it. It’s up to me to show that we knew it all along and were just waiting for them to catch up.” There’s an answering smile on this end of the line, bright as the sun.

 

“I would have said that myself, but you always were better with words than me.”

 

“Bullshit, Armie. Before that Variety thing you might have been able to get away with that, but you sure as hell can’t now.”

 

“It’s easy when you mean it.”

 

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

 

“What’re you gonna do today, Tim? Be better to yourself than those assholes, why don’t you?”

 

“Eh, Pauline and I are gonna get brunch and I’m gonna see G later. Maybe catch a show. Just wanna unwind, you know? With people who always knew how awesome I was.” There’s the faintest of sounds; it might be a chuckle.

 

“Well I guess it’s a good thing I called and got in on the theme of the day.”

 

“Love you, Armie. You really have always known, haven’t you?”   
  


“Always. Love you, Tim. I’ll see you soon.”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'm dreamofhorses42 on Tumblr, come say hi!


End file.
